And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
When Abner came back to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside at the city gate as if to have a private conversation with him. But then Joab stabbed him in the stomach, killing him, to get revenge for the death of his brother Asahel.
Joab murdered Abner in an act of personal revenge, disguising it as a private meeting but actually seeking to avenge his brother's death.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 2 Samuel, Abner was a key military leader under King Saul who later defected to David after Saul's death, seeking to unite the kingdom. However, Joab, David's commander, harbored deep resentment because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel during an earlier conflict. This verse depicts Joab's treacherous act of revenge by murdering Abner in Hebron, David's capital, amid the ongoing power struggles and betrayals as Israel transitioned under David's rule.
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